Improvement in grain-driers



W.BLAKB Y. GRAIN DRIER.

No. 113 840. Patented Api'. 18, 1871.

idioot ndert WILLIAM BLAKEY, OF BROOKLYNrNEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 113,840, dated April 18, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN-DRIERS.

The Schedule referred to ln theseLettexs Patent and making paxt ol' the lame.

To all whom 'it may concern v Be it known that I, WILLIAM BLAKEY, of vBrooklyn, inthe county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and improved Grain-Drier and Codec-Dresser; and 1 do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification.

My invention consists in constructing a grain-drier or coffee-dressing apparatus with horizontalslotted or perforated plates or diaphragms, having alternate slots, inclined or inverted V-shaped ridges, and arranged one above another Within a suitable casing, for the purpose of agtating, disturbing, and scouring the grain as it descends through the casing, a central lange of vertical. steam or hot-air pipes passing through the chamber, and a supplemental pipe employed to discharge a jet of steam Within the chainber, near its upper part, when required.

Figure 1 is a vertical section ot' my improved drying and dressingr apparatus; and` Figure 2 is a horizontalr section of the satne.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the vertical case or tube, to be made of wood, iron, or other suitable substance-and of any convenient length and area in cross-section.

B represents the cast-metal plates placed iu the case at short distances from cach other, and having slots, C, or other openings through them, and preferably having the plates or bars D, between the slot-s, ridged or otherwise formed to shed thc grain propelly; and

E represents the vertical tubes for conducting the vheat along through the case, which tubes are in this case placed in a row across the plates one way at the center; but they may be arranged in any other approved order. They are to be connected with any source for supplying heat by hot air, steam, or hot water, to be caused to circulate through them for heating the grain.

In this case the plat/sare supported by the edges projecting into grooves in th walls of the case, but they may-be supported in-any other approved way.

W'hen dressing coffee, which is found sometimes to l be too dry, I propose to discharge a small jet of steam into the mass near the top of the case to moisten-it, and for this purpose I proposeto employ asmall pipe, X, for taking steam outside the case and discharging it back again; the object of conducting it outside is to provide' easyaccess to the cock :t for allowing the steam to /iiow or for shutting it odi This apparatus is to be placed in a storehouse or other building or suitable place, and provided with an elevator or other means of discharging grain into the top, and 4means for conducting it away at the bottom; it is also to have suitable means at the bottom for regulating the flowof grain through it, it being required not to ow too fast, but t0 move in a mass,

filling the case, and taking time to heat according as it may be required by its condition.

The bars D, or other parts of the plates between the slots, cause a thorough agitation and shifting of the grain to give it an equal application of the heat, and they conduct the beat from the pipes in all directions.

Instead of the long slots in the plates, and ribs between, they may have round or square holes, with conical or other elevations between them.

A drying apparatus of this kind will have very great capacity for the space occupied, andv slight variations in size will make great changes in capacity.

It will occupy but very little' available space, and its operation will be exceedingly simple and reliable.

Having thus .described my invention,

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination of the central range of vertical heating-pipes E, the perforated or slotted diaphragms B with inclined or inverted V-shaped ridges D, and thevbranch-pipe X, all arranged to operate in connection with a tube or casing, A, in manner substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 28th day of November, 1870.

WILLIAM BLAKEY.

Witnesses:

Guo. W. Mauna, ALEX. F. ROBERTS. 

